Vegemite's 100th spreads Mitey thick on nostalgia, thin on creativity

Few taste sensations polarise humans like pineapple-on-pizza and Vegemite on toast. Ad Nut decided to try pineapple on pizza once and found it a match made in crust heaven, but it has not yet experienced the culinary adventure that is this yeasty spread known to elicit either joy or complete abhorrence in humans. Whatever side of the gastronomic debate you’re on, the savoury treat is a heritage advertising subject, and Ad Nut is excited about its 100th birthday celebration.

To mark the occasion, agency partner Thinkerbell has taken a bite out of its most iconic ad from the 1950s, ‘Happy Little Vegemite’ and added a modern flair. Fans can dive their head into a pool of nostalgia with this one. The ad brings back the famous household jingle that traversed generations and transports people back to childhood when life was all about carefree mornings and tucking into breakfast that brought the family together.

The campaign comes off the back of a national public casting call in April that invited kids in Australia to audition for a once-in-a-lifetime role in its remake. Vegemite received more than 10,000 audition applications from aspiring Happy Little Vegemites stepping up to the plate.

“Vegemite has played a key role in this great nation since 1923, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate its incredible legacy than by inviting a new generation of Happy Little Vegemites to be a part of something incredibly special,” said Matt Gray, general manager marketing Bega Foods.

Along with a new cast, the remake also features Trish Cavanagh (see below), the OG Vegemite star who was cast in the original ad as a 7-year-old. And 64 years later, almost like a culinary time warp, she’s back as a special guest, aged 71.

“I can’t really think of a more iconic Australian ad than the original Vegemite commercial, so having the opportunity to give it a bit of a remix for 2023 is a real honour,” said Regina Stroombergen, head creative tinker at Thinkerbell.

Nostalgia is a crowd-pleaser; this ad was a winner even before it launched. But Ad Nut wonders if the creatives at Thinkerbell pulled all stops for this milestone celebration, or were they on a mission to hide their imagination deeper than a buried acorn?

Vegemite, the brand, is a cultural construct. It’s part of the Australian psyche and there was a real opportunity here to build upon the foundations of the past and create something truly remarkable. Instead, Thinkerbell’s remix with the ‘glitch’ effect feels like a serving of mediocrity. The cameo of Trish Cavanagh after 64 years is a stroke of genius. But frankly, Ad Nut is still determining if that qualifies for pushing the creative envelope or borders on desperation to squeeze every drop of nostalgia from the jar.

The final verdict? Ad Nut sighs… with a hint of disappointment and a longing for campaigns that truly make it go nuts.

CREDITS:

Client: Bega, Vegemit
Creative Agency: Thinkerbell
Production Company: Eric Tom & Bruce
Music Re-mixer: Terry Mann
Media Agency: Starcom